Faithfulness and Love

Monthly Archives: May 2016

Tuesday of Week 25 Year 1

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Action speaks louder than words. We have heard many words and speeches throughout our lives, but all this talk is merely hot air, if nothing is done or carried out after that. Sometimes, we come across some politicians who would promise the sky during an election campaign. But after the elections are over and the politician has won, how many of them would actually keep their promises for the good of the people? The same thing goes for many other professions: it is pointless to talk a lot and sound good, without doing what you say.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us: “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and put it into practice.” We can claim to be related to Jesus, since we are supposed to be brothers and sisters in Christ. But if we only know how to talk but don’t do anything, then what sort of brothers and sisters are we? Are we only Christians in name, without action, without making effort to love and care for others? Or are we putting into practice what Jesus has taught us, so that others would know that we ae Christians by our love?

Monday of Week 25 Year 1

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We sometimes wonder whether God would help us or answer our prayers, especially when we do not seem to be getting any answers or solutions. When this happens, what do we do? Some of us may give up and think that God is not going to answer anyhow. Some may try other forms of help, only to discover that these other forms are not really much of a help after all. Some may begin to despair, thinking that there is no hope left. But how many of us are willing to wait, with patience and perseverance, knowing that God would do what is best for us, in His time and for His glory?

In today’s reading, the Jews were in exile in the foreign land of Babylon and they had been in exile for 70 years. That sure is a long time, but God did not abandon His people. Instead, all of a sudden, He roused the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia to let the Jews go back to their homeland and even offered to help them rebuild the Temple. 70 years of darkness, uncertainty and hopelessness gave way to the long-awaited light.

What does this mean to us? It means that we should not doubt God. We should be patient, persevere and be persistent, knowing and trusting that God would do what is best for us, in His time and for His glory. We should not give up or even despair, since if God could do such things for the Jews, He could do great things for us too. We just need to let God be in control, and let Him be our providence, help and guide.

Friday of Week 24 Year 1

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It is interesting to note that some people seem to think that they can pay their way to heaven, sort of like “cheap grace” where the more they contribute, the better the chances for them to reach heaven. Also, some so called Christian pastors seem to be focused in ensuring that their faithful pay up every month, even to the point of checking on their pay slip or income status, and even publishing on the notice board, the names of so called “offenders” who have not been able to contribute, though there may be good and valid reasons why they may be unable to do so. Has our church and even some of us begun to have such thoughts and attitudes?

In today’s reading, St. Paul warns us: “This is what you are to teach the brothers to believe and persuade them to do. Anyone who teaches anything different, and does not keep to the sound teaching which is that of our Lord Jesus Christ, the doctrine which is in accordance with true religion, is simply ignorant and must be full of self-conceit – with a craze for questioning everything and arguing about words. All that can come of this is jealousy, contention, abuse and wicked mistrust of one another; and unending disputes by people who are neither rational nor informed and imagine that religion is a way of making a profit. Religion, of course, does bring large profits, but only to those who are content with what they have. We brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it; but as long as we have food and clothing, let us be content with that.”

Are we a church only for the money? In some churches, we seem to get the impression that the leadership is focusing only for the money, where the rich, influential and wealthy are well treated, but the poor, the marginalised, those who are not so well-off or even those who are struggling to make ends meet are given little or minimal attention. If our focus is only for the money, then why are we church in the first place? Are we followers of our own ego, pride and gratification, or are we truly and sincerely following Jesus and His teachings?

Wednesday of Week 24 Year 1

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We sometimes come across people who say things that hurt, but what they say is the truth and makes sense. Some of such persons are called prophets, since what they are saying is to bring us back to our senses and help us realign ourselves with what is actual church teaching. However, those of us who say such things may not be appreciated or accepted by those who do not want to face the truth or accept the facts. Such persons would go to great lengths to try and discredit the prophet, in an attempt to safeguard the status quo or to maintain their interpretation of what they claim the church teaches, no matter how distorted or diverted the so called teaching may be.

In today’s Gospel, the chief priests, scribes and Pharisees and Jesus were in constant conflict, as the chief priests, scribes and Pharisees had their own interpretation of religion and its practices, which was constantly challenged by Jesus.The chief priests, scribes and Pharisees tried to make Jesus dance to their tune but He wouldn’t and He even said of them: “We played the pipes for you, and you wouldn’t dance; we sang dirges, and you wouldn’t cry.” Because Jesus and John the Baptist didn’t conform, the chief priests, scribes and Pharisees labelled them as “possessed” and “glutton and drunkard.” But as we know, it is the chief priests, scribes and Pharisees who had become “possessed” and “glutton and drunkard,” since they were the ones who had interpreted God’s laws according to their whims and fancies, instead of what is true.

What about us? Are we just as guilty like the chief priests, scribes and Pharisees, coming up with our own interpretations just because what the church teaches is not to our liking? May we come to realise what is true, and teach the truth accordingly, not what what we like or what suits us.

Tuesday of Week 24 Year 1

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What does it mean to do noble work? For some, it means doing some sort of charitable task, or to carry out some form of social work or to volunteer for a good cause. But sometimes, people perform noble work for a reason. Some do so because they want to gain a tax exemption or recognition from the government. Some do so because they want others to look up to them or to gain admiration or praise from their friends and peers. But what is a Christian understanding of noble work?

Noble work, from a Christian perspective, is not so much what a person does, but the kind of person he or she is, that is the person’s character. Today’s reading gives us some important clues about the kind of character a person should have, which in a nutshell should be respectable and impeccable. The work or ministry that a person would be doing could only be noble when the person in question is of noble character. That is why, when it comes to clergy and persons who would be entrusted to positions of authority in the church, it is necessary to examine and scrutinise the person’s character prior to ordination or appointment. May we be found to be of noble character, in our efforts to preach the good news to all.

Monday of Week 24 Year 1

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Many of us find it easy to pray for someone we care about or love. We pray for such persons, so that they would have happy lives, or they would remain strong and healthy, or for some other reason. But how many of us truly and genuinely pray for others, especially those we do not know, or we do not like, or those who have been hurtful towards us? Do we keep everyone in our prayers, or do we pick and choose?

In today’s reading, we are told: “My advice is that, first of all, there should be prayers offered for everyone – petitions, intercessions and thanksgiving – and especially for kings and others in authority, so that we may be able to live religious and reverent lives in peace and quiet. To do this is right, and will please God our saviour: he wants everyone to be saved and reach full knowledge of the truth.” When we pray for everyone, we are praying not for our own needs or wants, but for the good of all and for the glory of God. May we remember all around us in our prayers, with hope that there would be peace on earth.

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A

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Some of us may have experienced tremendous hurt or pain due to betrayal from those who were supposed to be close and trusting to us, such as our friends, our brother or sister, our husband or wife, our children, or even our parents. When we experience such hurt or pain, would we still be able to forgive the person or persons who have betrayed us? As Christians we are reminded that we are asked to fogive those who trespass against us, just as we ask God to forgive us our trespasses. But how do we forgive, especially when the hurt seems so great?

Some people think that forgiveness means forgetting, but this is not true. We are asked to forgive, not forget, since if we try to forget the memories, they will not be healed. To bring about healing, we must remember, since forgiveness is a healing of that memory which we must remember. Also, some seem to think that forgiveness will take away the anger and the hurt feelings, but that too is not necessarily true. Forgiveness is not about taking away the anger and the hurt feelings, but it is a decision to let go of the hurts, and to refuse to allow our hurts to control us. Should we wait till those hurt feelings disappear entirely before we are ready to forgive? Of course not! Forgiveness can and should begin even when we continue to feel hurt.

Moreover, forgiveness is not a single event, since it is a process and it takes time. When we decide to forgive, it does not happen all at once, or instantly, like some sort of hokus pokus, since we decide to keep on forgiving, and we will never stop forgiving till the day we die. As Jesus told his disciples in the Gospel, we are to forgive “Not seven, I tell you, but seventy-seven times.” That is a lifetime of forgiving indeed! Beside, we need to remember that forgiving others becomes easier when we realise that we too need forgiveness, since we too have made mistakes, betrayed others, hurt and gossiped about others, and are in need of forgiveness. God our Father readily forgives us for the many times that we’ve sinned, and we are challenged to do the same. Ultimately, we must learn to forgive ourselves, even though it may seem hard. Why do we need to forgive ourselves? Because if you cannot forgive yourself, you would also find it hard to forgive others, and you are doubting God’s compassion and mercy.

In today’s first reading, we are reminded that “Resentment and anger, these are foul things, and both are found with the sinner. He who exacts vengeance will experience the vengeance of the Lord, who keeps strict account of sin. Forgive your neighbour the hurt he does you, and when you pray, your sins will be forgiven. If a man nurses anger against another, can he then demand compassion from the Lord?” May we make every effort to begin by forgiving now, instead of putting it off till tomorrow, or next month, or the year after. At the end of our life, may we look back with joy and thanksgiving that our life was well lived and marked by forgiveness and reconciliation, instead of unforgiveness, bitterness and sorrow.

Wednesday of Week 23 Year 1

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From the moment we were baptised, our lives should have been totally transformed from our old ways and put on the ways of Christ, as we make much effort to love God and neighbour, not just with words, but also through our actions. But are we really living a Christian life, or are we only Christians in name, but living worldly lives and doing worldly things like everyone else?

In today’s reading, St. Paul reminds us: “Since you have been brought back to true life with Christ, you must look for the things that are in heaven, where Christ is, sitting at God’s right hand… That is why you must kill everything in you that belongs only to earthly life… You have stripped off your old behaviour with your old self, and you have put on a new self which will progress towards true knowledge the more it is renewed in the image of its creator…”

Living a true Christian life may seem difficult or even impossible, but to God, nothing is impossible. We will stumble and fall along the way, but we should get up and strive on, making steady progress in becoming more and more like Christ, while depending on His Grace and providence.

Tuesday of Week 23 Year 1

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Every once in a while, we come across someone who seems to be teaching Christian faith and values. People become attracted to such persons since many of them have got the gift of the gab, and they become quite popular. But if we observe such persons carefully, we could discover that such persons are not really teaching Christian values and faith, but a warped or distorted view of Christian faith and values. There is a hidden intention of such persons in preaching in such a way, and once such persons have achieved their goals, they may just disappear or commit heinous acts, and their followers end up in a lurch or in dire straits.

That is why, in today’s reading, St. Paul cautions us: “Make sure that no one traps you and deprives you of your freedom by some second-hand, empty, rational philosophy based on the principles of this world instead of on Christ.” Instead of becoming influenced by such individuals, we should be clear about what we Christians believe in, and make every effort to remain clear and committed to the true Christan faith and values. May we not be so gullible or foolish into being led astray, and help others to be vigilant and do the same.

Monday of Week 23 Year 1

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The institution of the Lord’s Day is meant to help everyone enjoy adequate rest and leisure to cultivate their familial, cultural, social, and religious lives. However, some of us seem to be taking the Lord’s Day as an opportunity to make a profit, especially since the Lord’s Day is usually a non-working day, and more people could be around shopping. On the other hand, some people take advantage of rhe Lord’s Day to avoid any form of work, even if the task is a charitable, merciful or compassionate one. Such persons fail to realise that, ultimately, the Lord’s Day is meant for all to rest and to give glory to God in our worship and in the good that we do.

In today’s Gospel, the scribes and the Pharisees had extreme views about the Sabbath. These folks were so extreme and stubborn that not a single thing could be done during the Sabbath. Even charitable, merciful or compassionate acts were forbidden to these scribes and the Pharisees. Jesus was amazed with their attitude, and He still went ahead to cure the man with the withered hand. As a result, these scribes and the Pharisees began to discuss the best way of dealing with Jesus, since what Jesus did was illegal or wrong in their distorted minds, and something needed to be done to stop Him from embarassing them further.

Sometimes we too could be like the scribes and the Pharisees. We fail to realise that at the end of the day, the Lord’s Day is for us to grow in relationship with God and with others, while giving glory to God. Some of us have forgotten that what God wants is “mercy, not sacrifice.” May we come to realise the real meaning and purpose of the Lord’s Day, and give God the greater glory in our words and deeds.